The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-29
THE RAVENS NEST.

why Small Boy Remembered the Truth:
"Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out"
"Would you not like to see raven 8
nest, WillyP"
"a what?" exclaimed Willy, in much
surprise. and with his eyes wide open.
ga ravens nest, stupid, repeated
his companion.
''Why there are not any about heren'
'Aren't there, though; that's all you
know about it. saw one yesterday"
Nonsense" said Willy.
81 tell you did" returned the other
;stoutly. Il was over there at Chere-
ham Cliffs yesterday and l saw it," he
concluded, with great emphasis.
WHY'S eyes opened wider still. "Oh!
/ should like to see it, too" he ex-
claimed.
"Well, come on then" said the other,
Sam Heathcote by name, who lived not
far from the cottage where Willy dwelt
with his grandfather and grandmother
But Willy did not move.
"Come on" cried Sam, again; "what
are you waiting for?"
that he had been told not to 90 near
Chereham Cliffs. But the temptation
was strong. A ravens nest is not to
be seen very often, and if the news of
its existence became nosed abroad in
the village it might not remain there
much longer Yet Willy tried to be an
obedient boy, and so compromised the
matter by saying to himself: "Well, l
will 90 now, and then / will tell
grandma how it was, and she will for
give me, because | should so much like
to see this strange and rare thing" So
he cried; "All right, Sam, here goes!"
and the two boys turned away from the
village, and hurried over the fields in
the direction of the famous cliffs.
These were not by the seashore, as
might perhaps be supposed. They form
the sides of a huge rent or pass through
some high hills in the west country, a
wild, and, for children, somewhat dam
gerous spot, which visitors came from
long distances to see, and against
which mothers warned their boys and
girls. The village was on the grassy
and gently-sloping side of the hills, so
far to go.
"What have you got that rope and
pole for?" asked Willy as he and Sam
trotted over the fields, which, rising
rather gradually here, led toward the
top of the cliffs.
"To help ourselves down by" said
Sam; "the nest is half way down the
cliffs, and it is too steep and rough to
Chamber down without rope"
"Ohn' said Willy, alarmed. 'Why
did you not say so before?" He was
only "A little fellow. and this seemed Il
;dreadfully dangerous proceeding
"What!" cried his companion, "are
you going to be coward now, eh, and
go back?'
MOO" replied the other, decided
ly, and he trotted forward again, but
less quickly than before.
In due time they reached the top and
looked down the rugged cliffs. Behind
them stretched the undulating SUBMITS
of the range of hills, covered with
short, sweet grass, which flocks of sheep
were nibbling; in front was the chasm,
and across the chasm the sward covered
hills stretched forward again.
"Now," said Sam, 1--WE will tie the
end of the rope round this pole'-
which he pushed into hole. in the
earth, and the other end will fasten
round me, under my arms, so-d'ye
seeP"-suiting the action to the word.
Then you hold the rope round the
pole so that it shall keep fast, and"-
carefully picking his way 81 can
chamber down pretty nearly all the way,
only | have the rope case we should
fall. Mind and hold to it tight. I'd
like to have the ravens eggs before
anybody else-or perhaps there are
young oncs-who knowsr'
Willy clutched the rope with des-
perate grasp, and watched Sam disap-
peared, but his heart was sorrowful,
How he wished he had not come! Slow
ly the minutes passed, The rope grad
ually went out over the cliff, bit by bit
Sam seemed making his way very care
fully and very slowly, and occasionally
Willy heard him shouting and singing
as if greatly delighted. Presently he
heard him call; Pull up the rope,
Willy; am coming"
So Willy pluckcd up little courage,
pulled the rope as it became slack, and
lying full length on the grass, ventured
to peep over the chasm and look at
Saml Yes, there he was slowly making
his way up the rough cliff amid the
wilderness Of grass and wild flowers
and thistles that adorned the side. Oh!
how profoundly quiet it was! There
veg absolutely no sound now but the